Machine for uniting threads or cords



Aug; 5 1924. 1,503,688

w. H. PEARSON ET AL MACHINE FOR UNITING THREADS OH GORDS Original Filed April 12. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WEE/" W. H. PEARSON ET AL MACHINE FOR UNITING THREADS OR corms Original Filed April 12.

1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 AT ORNEY Aug. 5 1924. 1,503,688

w. H. PEARSON ET AL MACHINE FOE UNiTING THREADS OH CORDS Original Filed April 12. 192 5 Sheets-sheet 3 mm unuimuml Patented Aug. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT eerie-r...

WILLIAM H. PEARSON AND TIMOTHY J. KELLY, OF PASSAIC, NEW 3 AISSEGNORS TO BRIGHTON MILLS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR UNITING THREADS OR COB-BS.

Original application filed April 12, 1921, Serial No. 460,725.

Divided and this application filed December 1, 1921. 1 Serial No. 519,259.

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that we, VVILLIAM H. PEAR- SON and TIMOTHY J. KELL citizens of the United States, residing at Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Uniting Threads or Cords, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a novelmechanism for uniting threads or yarns in weaving or other'textile or cordage work while avoiding forming a knot therein which in volves" the entire thread or yarn and maintaining or reestablishing at said juncture or place of union the amount or degree of twist which is normal or standard for the remainder of the thread or yarn. -j

' Objects andadvantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations andimprovements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illus= trate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings i Fig. 1 is a top plan with parts in horizontal section of a machine embodying our invention Fig. 2 is a vertical, transverse section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, looking at Fig. 1 from the bottom of the sheet;

Fig. 4c is an enlarged, fragmentary detail of one of the thread-holding clamps, shown at the right-hand'end ofFig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, detached end elevation of the head of the winding reel shown at the upper central part of Fig. 1;

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary top plans, similar to 1, but somewhat diagra1n inatic. showing steps in the uniting of the threads.

This application is a division of my copending April 12, 1921.

In the weaving of many kinds of fabrics, and in other textile or cordage work, it is advantageous or essential that the ends of two threads or yarns be firmly and positively united without knots or like protuberances or irregularities and that the threads or yarns at the place of such union or juncture be maintained of substantially the normal or standard size and strength of the remainder of the thread or cord by reestablishing at the place of union the normal or standard amount or degree of twist.

The present invention provides a novel mechanism for effecting the above-described function oroperation in a positive, exact, easy and expeditious manner, and provides a novel means for and method of, efl'ecting the same. 1

Referring broadly to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, there are provided devices for holding each of two threads or yarns to be united at two definitely spaced-apart points, and, cooperating therewith, devices for uniformly and completely untwisting the strands composing these two threads or yarns, and for positively storing or recording the number of twists so removed by simultaneously winding upanother portion of one of the two. threads. Means are provided for locating cuts at definite or predetermined points in corresponding strands of the untwisted parts of the two threads or yarns, these out end-s being then spliced or united by a small knot, and for so treating each such corresponding pair of strands at predeter mined or equidistantly spaced-apart points along the untwisted part, without changing the'length of the untwisted part. Cooperating therewith are means for exactly and positively restoring the normal or standard amount or. degree of twist, by unwinding the .unforesaid portion of. one of the threads wherein the untwisting has been stored. All these functions are effected without any useless and harmful twisting or untwisting of other portions ofthe thread, cord, or like material.

Other features of the invention will be first described in connection with the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment; and it will be L1I1d11- application Ser. No. 460,725 filed stood that so far as concerns certain aspects of the invention, the features already described may be utilized apart from each other, or in other relations or combinations without departing from the invention.

The invention finds one of its chief and most valuable commercial applications in the manufacture of fabric for cord tires for motor vehicles for uniting, preparatory to weaving, the ends of the relatively heavy cords which constitute the warp of such tire fabrics, and the terms thread or yarn used herein will be understood to include the cords used in such tire fabrics.

Referring now to the details of the em bodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, a machine is provided with a base 1, and preferably with an understructure whereby it may be readily moved from place to place to operate upon reeled or sp-ooled threads and yarn in working position, as for example upon creels, the threads or cords from which are being supplied to a beamer or loom. Such understructure, as shown, comprises legs 2, cross-pieces 3 and wheels or casters 4, although such structure may be of any desired form.

Referring now in detail to the mechanism mounted upon the general base 1, two thread clamps 10 and 11 are provided, these clamps being conveniently, though not necessarily, paired together in their mounting, one of the clamps engaging the end of one of the threads to be united and the other clamp engaging the other thread beyondthe point at which it is to be united to the firstmentioned thread. 7

As so preferably embodied, these clamps are supported on a base 12, which is mounted on the frame 1, and has projecting upwardly therefrom standards 13 and 14, in the upper ends of which there is mounted a clampsupporting rod 15. The clamp 10 comprises a fixed jaw 16, and a cooperating springpressed jaw 17, which is slidable along the rod 15. The clamp 11 comprises a stationary jaw 18 and a cooperating spring-pressed jaw 19, which is slidably mounted on the rod 15. A helical spring 20 is coiledin compression about the rod 15, and yieldingly presses the jaws 17 and 19, respectively, against the corresponding cooperating jaws. These clamping jaws and two cooperating clamping jaws or like devices to be later described, delimit a desired or predetermined length of two cords or threads wherein the length of thread strands are untwisted, cut separately at different points, the strands of the two threads are tied together. and the whole retwisted.

For the purpose of varying the delimited or cord, the mechanism just described is mounted to be movable to and fro on the base 1, and may be fixed in i a cross-bar 27 below any such desired or predetermined position. As embodied, slots 22 and 23 are formed in the base 1, and pins or rivets 24 and 25 extend through these slots. ends, these pins are fixed to a cross-bar above the base 1, and at their lower the base plate 1. A set screw 29 is threaded into the cross-bar 26 and binds on :the plate 12 to hold the mechanism in a desired position to which position it has been slid along the base 1.

At their upper ends to At the opposite end of said delimited threads or cords which are to be united, other suitable thread holding or clamping devices are provided. As em bodied, a clamp 34 is providedfor the free end of one of the threads, that is,'to mark the delimited length at such free end. This clamp is provided with a stationary jaw 35, mounted upon a shaft 36, and with a spring pressed jaw 37, mounted upon but movable along the shaft, and cooperating with the jaw 35. A helical spring 38 is coiled around shaft 36 in compression between the jaw 37 and a collar 39 fixed on the shaft. Shaft 36 is journaled in a bearing 40, carried on the machine frame, or on a housing 41, which may conveniently be employed to enclose certain of the mechanism which is later described. p

The mechanism. for holding the corresponding end of the delimited length of the other thread-or cord comprises a drum 42 fixed on a shaft 43 which shaft is likewise journaled in the housing 41. Drum 42 is provided with flanges 44 and 45, between which the thread may be wound upon th: drum, as later described herein. The flange 44 is provided with slots 46 into which the thread may is clamped or held during the process of. untwisting the strands and of later reimlength of the two he slipped, and by which it parting the'tw1st to the cut and tied strands by which the two threads have been united. When the retwisting is completed, the thread automatically slips out of th slot 46.

Means are provided for controlling the extent ofrotation or number of revolutions of the drum 42 and clamp 34, so as to entirely untwist the strand in the delimited length of thetwo threads or cords and to stop: the untwisting action at that point, and in conjunction therewith, means restoring positively the same twist to the strands after those of the two cords have been tiedtogether.

In accordanc v with one feature of the invention, the retwist is imparted to'the united strands of the two threads or cords by unwinding the thread from' the drum 42, and in connection therewith, means are provided for taking up or rewinding the thread unwound from drum 42. In the embodied form thereof, a spool or reel holder 75 is provided mounted on a bracket 78 fixed on for amount of' the machine. ,Reel holder -75 will be driven in 7 any. suitable manner for the purpose stated, such for example as the mechanism shown and described in the parent application.

In 1, 2 and 3, there are shown workman-operated means for supplying. power to the untwisting and retwisting mechanism. By such mechanism, as embodied, the power for untw1st1ng the strands 1s su a-ct ied by the :workman de aressin a foot l P l a lever. and at the same time raising a weight, the power for the retwisting being supplied by the descent of the weight when the foot leveris released.

Referring to the embodiment of said mechanism inv detail, there is provided on the shaft 51 of the gear wheel 50 a pinion 105, and meshing therewith is a gear wheel 106, fixed on a shaft'107, which shaft is jour naled in bearings 108 and 109, mounted on the machine frame. Fixed on shaft 107 is a drum 110, about which is wound a cord 1.] 1, to one end of which is attached a Weight-112, the other end of the cord being attached at 113 to a foot lever 114. Foot lever 114 is pivotally mounted on the machine frame at 115, and a stop 116 maybe provided to limit its upward travel. Actuation ofthe foot lever raises the weight, thereby storing energy which is used to effect the retwisting. r

. Means may be provided for controlling the foot lever both to regulate the amount of the untwisting and retwisting action, and

for controlling the lever without the necessitywof the workman keeping his foot upon it. [As embodied," a detent lever 118 is pivoted at 119 on the machine frame and is yieldingly held to engaging position by a spring 120. A pm 121 serves'to limit the movement of the detent lever. A" pin 122 is -p rovided on the pedal lever 114, which is adapted to. engage with a plurality of notches 123 'in the detent lever 118. In operation, the workman steps on lever 114 and depresses it to the required extent to effect the untwisting of the strands, and when this is completed lever 114 will be held in that position by the-proper notch 123 indetent lever 118. hen *it is desired to eff'ct the rewinding, the workman steps on the detent lever 118, releasing lever 114, and the descending Weight 112 will drive the mechanism during the retwisting operation.

Means are provided for instantaneously locating the separated. points at which the respective strands of the two cords or threads are to be severed, and, as embodied, a plurality of pins 84 are placed in selected holes 85 in the base 1. The pins 84 may also be used in tying the knots in the strands of thecords or threads. i

The mannerof operationiof the hereinbefore described mechanism is substantially as follows The thread or cord as from the spool or reel a has its end placed in the spring clamp 34, and the thread is then placed at the other end of the predetermined delimited length in the clamp 11. The thnad from the spool or reel Z5 has its end placed in the spring clamp 10, and the thread is placed, at the other end of the predetermined delimited length, in one of the slots 46 in flange 44 of the drum 42, The delimited lengths of the thread a: and 3 are thus held at both ends. Foot lever 11.4 is pressed downwardly a sufficient distance to effect the unwinding.

The untwisted strands are then severally cut of]? in pairs, that is, one strand from each of the cords r threads, substantially in a line with the respective indicating posts 84, so that one strand from one thread and a corresponding strand from the other thread have free ends at each post, as diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 6, and these pairs of ends m, n and 0 are tied together, respectively, as indicated in Fig. 6.

The operation is then reversed to put back the right degree of twist into the united strands of the two threads. In this operation, thread is unwound from the drum 42, the friction drive for the spindle rewinding the cord on the spool or reel. This reverse operation of the mechanism and unwinding of the thread from drum 42 imparts a positive rotation to the thread holding or clamping flange 44 in the opposite direction from, and for an equal number of revolutions to, the untwisting motion already described, and thereby there is imparted to the tied but untwisted strands, as shown in Fig. 6, positively and accurately, the twist that was taken out of the same length of the cords or threads. In Fig. 7 the mechanism is shown at the close of the re twisting operation, with threads or cords a and b united and retwisted, and with the loose, cut-off ends of the strands held in clamps and 34. The reel may be dispensed with, and the spool may be placed in a back-winder or any other winding device, the unwinding of the thread from drum 42 imparting the desired twist to the strands, as already described, and also restoring the tion. The entire splicing or uniting mechanism may be combined and operated with a back-winder.

By the mechanism very small knots have been made, at separated and substantially symmetrically spaced-apart points, in the different strands and the points for the cutting and knotting together of the strands are indicated instantaneously and without any movement of the mechanism.

A positive and accurate retwist of the exact amount of the untwisting is also immechanism to starting posiparted to this part, or delimited length, of the now united threads or cords. Also, by the winding action at drum 42 all useless and harmful twisting or untwisting of the adjacent part of the thread Z) has been avoided.

movable from one place to another as may be found most convenient and expeditious in use. The enumerated advantages, together with others which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are very valuable in all cord or thread uniting work, but find one special value and application in making fabric for cord tires, in which the warp consists of relatively very heavy cords, which must be very smooth and uniform, and the filler is relatively very light.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the prmclples of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

'What we claim is r 1. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords, including in combination means for untwisting and retwisting the threads, workman operated means for operating said means in one direction for untwisting the threads, and an energy storing device, in which energy is stored by the operation of the said means for the untwisting operation, for operating said means in the other direction for retWisting the threads.

2. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination means for delimiting two equal lengths in'the ends of two threads, means for untwisting the strands of said lengths, and simultaneously winding another portion of the thread and by the unwinding of said portion to restore the twist to the untwisted strands and work man operated means for actuating said untwisting means.

3. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination means for delimiting two equal lengths in the ends of two threads, means for untwisting the strands of said lengths, and simultaneously winding another portion of the thread and by the unwinding of said portion to restore the twist to the untwisted strands and workman operated means for actuating said untwlsting and winding means.

4. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination means for delimiting two equal lengths in the ends of two threads, means for untwisting the strands of said lengths, and simultaneously winding another portion of the thread and by the unwinding of said portion to restore the twist to the untwisted strands and workman operated means for effecting said unwinding. 7 r

5. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination a drum having a thread clamping device, a thread clamp for the same thread spaced away from the drum, two clamps for another thread, onesubstantially in alinement with the drum and the other in substantial alinement with said other clamp for the drum thread and workman operated means for winding said drum.

6. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination a drum having a thread clamping device, a thread clamp for the same thread spaced away from the drum, two clamps for another thread, one substantially in alinement with the drum and the other in substantial alinement with said other clamp for the'drum thread and workman operated means for winding said drum and one of said clamps for the other thread. 7

7 A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination a drum having a thread clampin device, a thread: clamp for the same tiread spaced away from the drum, two clamps for another thread, one substantially in alinement with the drum and the other in substantial alinement with said other clamp for the drum thread and foot operated means for winding said drum. r a

8. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination a drum having a thread clamping device, a. thread clamp for the same thread spaced away from the drum, two clamps for another thread, one substantially in alinement with the drum and the other in substantial aline ment with said other clamp for the drum thread and foot operated means for winding said drum and one of said clamps for the other thread.

9. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords'including in combination a drum. having a thread clamping device, a thread clamp for the same thread spaced away from the drum, two clamps for another thread, one substantially in alinement with the drum and the other in substantial alinement with said other clamp for the drum thread and means operated by an attendant for rotating and for determining the number of rotations of the drum.

10. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination means for delimiting a length in a thread, workmanoperated means for untwisting the strands lUo in the delimited length and for winding the thread adjacent to the delimited length to prevent undesired twisting action therein.

11. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination means for delimiting a length in a thread, foot-operated means for untwisting the strands in the delimited length and for winding the thread adjacent to the delimited length to prevent undesired twisting action therein.

12. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination means for delimiting a length in a thread, workmanoperated means for untwisting the strands in the delimited length and for winding the thread adjacent to the delimited length to prevent undesired twisting action therein for subsequently unwindin the wound thread to retwist the delimite length to the correct degree or amount.

13. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination means for delimiting a length in a thread, foot-operated means for untwisting the strands in the delimited length and for winding the thread adjacent to the delimited length to prevent undesired twisting action therein for subsequently unwinding the wound thread to retwist the delimited length to the correct degree or amount.

14. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination a plurality of clamps for holding two threads to be united, workman operated means for rotating one of the clamps for each of the threads to untwist the threads, means cooperating with one of the rotating clamps for winding thread thereon as that clamp untwists its length of thread, and means for holding the clamp when the thread is untwisted.

15. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combinations. plurality of clamps for holding two threads to be united, workman operated means for r0 tating one of the clamps for each of the threads to untwist the threads, detent means for holding the clamp when the thread is untwisted and means .for releasing the thread from said holding means.

16. A mechanism for uniting threads or cords including in combination a plurality of clamps for holding two threads to be united, workman operated means for rotating one of the clamps for each of the threads to untwist the threads, automatically operating means for holding the clamp when the thread is untwisted, means for releasing the thread from said holding means and means for retwisting the united threads.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

TIMOTHY J. KELLY. WILLIAM H. PEARSON. 

